News Release

RED WING, Minn. – Motorists on Highway 61 near the Highway 63/ Eisenhower Bridge in Red Wing will experience intermittent delays from March 12-16 as construction crews set beams on a temporary bridge that will connect to the new button hook ramp,according to the Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of transportation.

The Highway 63/Eisenhower Bridge will remain open during this work. The work is only expected to affect Highway 61, which passes under the new temporary bridge.

Crews are building a small temporary bridge over Highway 61 that will provide access to and from the Highway 63/Eisenhower Bridge. It will connect with a new button hook signalized intersection with Highway 61 that is slated to open in April when the slip ramp on the Red Wing side of the bridge is closed. The slip ramp closure will be from April 2018 to September 2019.

During the work next week, Highway 61 traffic delays of up to 15 minutes are possible from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., depending on the work and weather. Work is expected to take place all week, but will wrap up sooner if possible.

Overall, the Highway 63/Eisenhower Bridge project includes building a new bridge to replace the Highway 63/Eisenhower Bridge, replacing the historic slip ramp Highway 63 Bridge over Highway 61, reconstructing approach roadways in Minnesota and Wisconsin, improving access to Red Wing and upgrading pedestrian and bicyclist crossings. The prime contractor on this $63.4 million construction project is Zenith Tech. The new bridge is expected to open to traffic by fall of 2019.

Motorists should always be attentive, drive with caution, slow down in work zones and never enter a road blocked with barriers or cones. For real-time traffic information in Minnesota, call 511 or visit www.511mn.org.